Salary distribution
Where California computer and information research scientists fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Computer and Information Research Scientists in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 1,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $195,094. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 88 | $162,544 |
| Level II — qualified | 272 | $190,000 |
| Level III — experienced | 142 | $224,682 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 96 | $280,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Computer and Information Research Scientists in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Research Scientist | 233 | $182,000 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Applied Scientist II | 118 | $195,200 |
| Google LLC | Research Scientist | 54 | $227,000 |
| NVIDIA Corporation | Research Scientist | 30 | $191,922 |
| Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc. | Applied Scientist II | 25 | $162,338 |
| OpenAI OpCo, LLC | Member of Technical Staff (Research Engineer) | 17 | $380,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Applied Sciences | 15 | $218,675 |
| BYTEDANCE INC. | Research Scientist - Multimedia Lab | 14 | $319,474 |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | Applied Scientist II | 13 | $189,750 |
| ByteDance Inc. | Research Scientist | 13 | $320,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Research Engineer at Meta Platforms, Inc$232,000Menlo ParkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500758
- Applied Scientist II at Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc.$171,600Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500987
- Research Scientist at Intel Corporation$201,094Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25357-504587
- Research Scientist at NVIDIA Corporation$226,933Santa ClaraDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502608
- Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$214,032SunnyvaleDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500756
- Linguistic Engineer at Meta Platforms, Inc$180,400BurlingameDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-500707
- AI Researcher at Flapping Airplanes, Inc.$285,000San FranciscoDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503851
- Member of Technical Staff at Rigor AI Inc$164,403Santa ClaraDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498590
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Computer and Information Research Scientists pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Computer and Information Research Scientists specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 738 certified offers. The most common variant is Research Scientist at a median of $182,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Scientist | Meta Platforms, Inc | 361 | $182,000 |
| Applied Scientist | Amazon.com Services LLC | 154 | $194,200 |
| Member of Technical Staff | OpenAI OpCo, LLC | 62 | $267,500 |
| Research Engineer | Google LLC | 49 | $210,000 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | ActiveHours, Inc. | 29 | $207,645 |
| Engineer II, Machine Learning Software | Samsung Electronics America, Inc. | 17 | $192,850 |
| Senior Researcher | Samsung Research America, Inc. | 13 | $191,922 |
| Applied Sciences | Microsoft Corporation | 13 | $218,675 |
| Machine Learning Scientist | Abridge AI, Inc. | 12 | $218,176 |
| Applied Researcher | eBay Inc. | 10 | $199,300 |
| AI Researcher | Cisco Systems, Inc. | 9 | $285,000 |
| AI ENGINEER | ADCOCK AGI INC. | 9 | $240,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Computer and Information Research Scientists in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 999 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $193,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Meta Platforms, Inc | 577 | $193,000 |
| Professional services | OpenAI OpCo, LLC | 166 | $203,315 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 148 | $198,250 |
| Manufacturing | NVIDIA Corporation | 63 | $192,730 |
| Finance and insurance | Capital One Services, LLC | 20 | $200,000 |
| Education | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 19 | $79,934 |
| Healthcare | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | 3 | $98,925 |
| Energy and utilities | PowerFlex Solar, LLC | 2 | $147,657 |
| Nonprofit and civic | University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development | 1 | $135,190 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.6 / 5
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Inductive Reasoning
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Deductive Reasoning
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Judgment and Decision Making
Technical
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.
- 02
Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses.
- 03
Assign or schedule tasks to meet work priorities and goals.
- 04
Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
- 05
Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
- 06
Design computers and the software that runs them.
- 07
Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
- 08
Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+19.9%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing much faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for computer and information research scientists in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$191,880
- San Francisco$168,820
- Sacramento$161,850
- Los Angeles$149,070
- San Diego$124,790
- Riverside$123,940
Compare Computer and Information Research Scientists pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Computer and Information Research Scientists in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Computer and Information Research Scientists in California is $156,290.
- How does California compare to the national median for Computer and Information Research Scientists?
- The California median is +7.7% versus the BLS national figure of $145,146.
- Is Computer and Information Research Scientists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 19.9% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Computer and Information Research Scientists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Master's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.